Pilgrims’ experts have once again been asked to comment on the ever changing situation in Iraq, providing an in-depth paper on The 'Irreducible Minimum': Al-Qa'ida in Iraq and the Effectiveness of Leadership Decapitation, for leading security publication RUSI Journal.

Car and suicide bombings remain a regrettable feature of daily life for many Iraqis, despite the assassination of a number of high-profile Al-Qa'ida leaders. As in Malaya, Algeria and the Philippines, leadership decapitation (removal of the leader) has had only limited effect.

Instead, the targeting of Al-Qa'ida in Iraq's legion of emirs must be part of a wider strategy that incorporates political and economic tools to undercut the resilience of Iraq's decentralised insurgency, assert Pilgrims Intelligence experts.